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Case Study
Complete Batch Production System
At Heinz Baby Food Factory
Case Study
Complete Batch Production System
At Heinz Baby Food Factory
The Solution - Then and Now
In 1998, Matcon supplied a complete batch
production system at the updated Kendal
facility and it is still an integral part of the
overall production today, as it was back then.
The process flow comprises –
The raw materials are received in a variety of
different packages including barrels, big bags,
conventional sacks and recyclable cardboard
IBCs. These materials are transferred into
the IBCs and sealed with lid and band clamp.
When a particular ingredient is required,
the sealed IBC is taken and loaded onto a
‘recipe formulation system’, where eight
independent gravimetric IBC Discharge
Stations dispense ingredients simultaneously
operating on a loss-in-weight basis. This
concurrent weighing minimises the time to
formulate each batch.
The Ten Position Recipe Formulation System
Matcon designed and installed a ‘Lean System’ before lean was even
known – 14 years on and still going strong!
Background
H.J Heinz company, are an internationally renowned food manufacturing company, most
famous for the ‘Heinz 57 varieties’ that include ketchup and tomato soup. The company
produces thousands of food products in plants on 6 continents and these products are
marketed in more than 200 countries and territories.
In 1997, Heinz approached Matcon to discuss their requirement for an alternative Batch
production facility to replace the previous system at their baby food manufacturing site in
Kendal, England.
There was a planned modernisation at the site and the plan was to install a pneumatic
system, however Matcon explained that this system would be process restrictive. It would
have offered no flexibility for product recipe changeovers, so extensive time delays would
have been incurred during clean down between products and recipes.
Heinz decided that a Matcon IBC system was the way forward as it allowed the IBCs to be
used and stored as required, offering maximum efficiency and flexibility.
Tel: +44 (0) 1386 769 000 Fax: +44 (0) 870 1911116 Email: matcon_marketing@idexcorp.com
Effective and efficient use of the system
is achieved by initial premixing of the
more commonly used micro ingredients in
designated IBCs on a Matcon IBC blender.
These are then dispensed from two IBC
Discharge Stations, through high accuracy
LIW feeders with the other required major
and minor ingredients, enabling a far wider
variety of recipes to be formulated on the
system.
Dispensed ingredients are then gently
handled via a vibratory tray feeder to a multiflex mixer for very fast, consistent mixing.
The mixed product is gravity fed from the
mixer into a Matcon IBC for inter plant
transportation to the packing area.
Case Study
Complete Batch Production System
At Heinz Baby Food Factory
The Result - was ‘LEAN!’
At Heinz the IBC is the focus of the process chain with batches being dispensed,
formulated and blended, whilst remaining completely contained within the IBC.
Since the equipment was installed in 1998, the Matcon system has enabled the
facility to operate at a much higher level of efficiency, mainly due to its flexibility
and reliability. Heinz have continually used the equipment, 24 hours a day since
and the only real changes are the recipes. The equipment is as reliable as the day
it arrived and the maintenance costs have been very minimal, approximately only
10% of the original investment over 14 years! With this in mind, the return on this
investment speaks for itself!
Undoubtedly this system will continue to bring additional
value for many years to come and Matcon can continue to
be proud of the development and supply of such robust
and reliable equipment.
For further information on this application,
please contact Business Development Manager
Barrie Mills:
bjmills@idexcorp.com
Matcon and Heinz jointly designed the plant based on best practice and
common sense at the time. If one was to critically evaluate the system from a
lean perspective, there is actually very little that could be improved upon. The
improvements that would be possible are mainly at a technology level – taking
advantage of some of Matcon’s recent developments and enhancements.
The Heinz Kendal story is by no means unique. Most of Matcon’s customers have
similar experiences with their Matcon equipment. Once installed it performs for
years with the need for spare parts and downtime kept to a minimum.
Formulation to Mixing
Raw Ingredients Filling
Tel: +44 (0) 1386 769 000 Fax: +44 (0) 870 1911116 Email: matcon_marketing@idexcorp.com
Feed to Packing